Ruch Aviva, Francis Joel, George Ann Z
Unit of Undergraduate Medical Education, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Jan 21;67(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6034.
Integrated primary care (IPC) is a final-year medical subject at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It focusses on primary health care training. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated existing decentralised training challenges, including standardisation and patient exposure. This study explored IPC students' experiences and perceptions of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was informed by the technology acceptance model, community of inquiry model and self-regulated learning theory. A cross-sectional online survey was followed by focus group discussions (FGDs) (n = 2 and n = 3, respectively). All 316 medical students in the 2021 cohort were eligible to participate. Closed-ended survey responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. The FGDs were thematically analysed.
The survey response rate was 52% (n = 164/316). Most students found the online content easily accessible (93.3%) and logically organised (80.0%). The course structure and organisation, and the range of online activities offered were the main features that supported learning. The main challenges included the content not being comprehensive and the difficulty of learning patient management from online content. Suggested improvements related to the course design and ways students and instructors can maximise the affordances of the online course.
Acknowledging the limitations of learning clinical content online, the participants felt the course supported their learning. Our findings suggest that well-designed online content can augment clinical learning.Contribution: This study contributes to the discourse on the value of online learning for clinical teaching.
综合初级保健是南非约翰内斯堡金山大学医学专业最后一年的课程。它专注于初级卫生保健培训。2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行加剧了现有的分散培训挑战，包括标准化和患者接触。本研究探讨了COVID-19大流行期间综合初级保健专业学生的在线学习体验和看法。
本解释性序列混合方法研究以技术接受模型、探究社区模型和自我调节学习理论为依据。先进行了一项横断面在线调查，随后进行了焦点小组讨论（分别为2组和3组）。2021级的所有316名医学生均有资格参与。使用描述性和推断性统计分析封闭式调查回复。使用内容分析法分析开放式回复。对焦点小组讨论进行主题分析。
调查回复率为52%（n = 16 / 316）。大多数学生发现在线内容易于获取（93.3%）且逻辑清晰（80.0%）。课程结构和组织以及提供的在线活动范围是支持学习的主要特征。主要挑战包括内容不全面以及从在线内容学习患者管理的难度。建议的改进涉及课程设计以及学生和教师如何最大限度地利用在线课程的优势。
尽管认识到在线学习临床内容的局限性，但参与者认为该课程支持了他们的学习。我们的研究结果表明，精心设计的在线内容可以增强临床学习。贡献：本研究为在线学习在临床教学中的价值讨论做出了贡献。
